Zenith Multi Academy Trust

UID 16575·Companies House 07559293·Incorporated March 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

10 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Feb 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£38.7m

4,688 pupils

Avg staff costs

79.8%

of income

Avg reserves

7.0%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

33.1%

free school meals

Capacity

101%

4,688 / 4,652 places

Total admin cost

£3.5m

£752 per pupil

Trust overview

2 of 5 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

1 of 5 schools report negative revenue reserves at year-end. A year-end snapshot can reflect planned spend-down, in-trust transfers or timing; the trust's audited accounts give the fuller picture.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 9 percentage points over two years of published returns.

4 of 5 schools spent more than their income in the latest year. Single-year deficits are common around growth, building works or falling rolls; multi-year patterns matter more than one snapshot.

Absence is above the national average in 4 of 5 schools. Attendance tracks intake and local circumstances as well as school practice.

3 schools report persistent absence above 20%, a level the DfE prioritises for additional support.

3 of 5 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above; 2 have at least one area judged below it. Inspection dates vary — some grades predate current leadership.

2 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 4.5%below 5% threshold5 schools in deficit4 schools with staff costs above 78%3 schools with absence above 8%3 schools with workforce pressure2 schools with Ofsted concerns

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

60%meeting standard or above

Across 5 graded schools, including 2 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

80% Good+

Outst. 1Good 3RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 4

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 2Good 3

Leadership & management

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 4

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

41.5

-4.7

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

26.0%

-35.0pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressC/O The King John School Shipwrights Drive, Benfleet, SS7 1RQ

Companies House07559293

Incorporated10 March 2011

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 2 schoolsinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Achievement

Needs attention 1Expected standard 1

Inclusion

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Growth

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	5	4,352	£29.7m	£27.8m	71.4%	10.1%
2022/23	5	4,431	£32.7m	£31.6m	73.0%	13.2%
2023/24	5	4,600	£35.7m	£37.9m	75.5%	0.0%
2024/25partial	5	4,688	£38.7m	£39.4m	79.8%	7.0%
2025/26	5	4,688	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

1.4%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£555,000

CS staff costs

£1,421,000

CS income

£256,000

Admin & clerical£386,000

Teaching staff£747,000

ICT£3,000

Premises£88,000

Legal & professional£20,000

Auditor costs£19,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

8 current directors · Average tenure: 7.7 years · 1 change in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (8)

Janet Barberis

director·1 year

Nicola Dawn Everett

director·2 years

Robert Neil James

director·4 years

Iain Birtwell

director·6 years

John Marchant

director·8 years

Sarah Helen Foster

director·9 years

Stewart Victor Taylor

director·13 years

Alan Evan Davies

director·15 years

Company Secretary

Sarah Hanmore

secretary·8 years

38 former officers — most recent departure: Sept 2025

Apoorva Vilas Sherekar

director·4 years·Resigned Jun 2023

Ben Steel

director·4 years·Resigned Sept 2025

Ann Matthews

director·4 years·Resigned Oct 2021

Rowena Jane Simmons

director·4 years·Resigned Jul 2024

Paul Findlay

director·6 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Jamie Bell

Member schools (5)

5 schools|5 with risk flags|7 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Castle View School	147031	Secondary	ofsted concernworkforce pressurehigh absencein year deficit
Castledon School	141765	Not applicable	workforce pressurehigh absencehigh staff costsin year deficit
Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery	145812	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costs
The James Hornsby School	138865	Secondary	workforce pressurehigh absencein year deficithigh staff costsofsted concern
The King John School	136577	Secondary	high staff costsin year deficit

Castle View SchoolSecondary

ofsted concernworkforce pressurehigh absencein year deficit

Castledon SchoolNot applicable

workforce pressurehigh absencehigh staff costsin year deficit

Laindon Park Primary School & NurseryPrimary

in year deficithigh staff costs

The James Hornsby SchoolSecondary

workforce pressurehigh absencein year deficithigh staff costsofsted concern

The King John SchoolSecondary

high staff costsin year deficit

Attendance & behaviour

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Personal development

Strong standard 2

Leadership

Expected standard 1Strong standard 1

Stewrt Taylor

director·8 years·Resigned Jan 2020

Katrina Elizabeth Dr Bentley

director·8 years·Resigned Aug 2020

Adam Jones

director·9 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Surinder Kaur mbe

director·9 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Tanja Isabel Collins

director·9 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Victoria Nelson

secretary·9 years·Resigned Jul 2018

Carrie Ann Cox

secretary·11 years·Resigned Feb 2017

Graham John Pritchard

director·11 years·Resigned Dec 2016

Rebecca Cameron-mcintosh

director·11 years·Resigned Jan 2017

Greg David Barsby

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Conrad Scott Peter Phillips

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2016

Nicola Jane Cocks

secretary·12 years·Resigned Dec 2014

Donna Merry

director·12 years·Resigned Jun 2015

Joan Downing

director·15 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Patrick John Daly

director·15 years·Resigned Mar 2017

Barry Alvin Newman

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2016

Eileen O'neill

director·15 years·Resigned Sept 2017

Margaret Melrose Dr Wilson

director·15 years·Resigned Aug 2019

Anthony John Cochrane

director·15 years·Resigned Mar 2014

Catherine Anna Sackey

director·15 years·Resigned Jan 2017

Andrew Sheldon

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2017

Jennifer Brown

director·15 years·Resigned Oct 2014

Brian Reginald Belcher

director·15 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Anne Snelson

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2014

Paul Martin Speirs

director·15 years·Resigned Dec 2013

Christopher Stanley Samuel Hickman

director·15 years·Resigned Sept 2013

David Charles Jenkins

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2016

Nicholas Stuart Turner

director·15 years·Resigned Jul 2016

Louise Eleanor Wall

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2014

Robert George Gray

director·15 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Neil Cranefield

director·15 years·Resigned Dec 2017

Katrina Dr Bentley

secretary·15 years·Resigned Dec 2013